Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Have you ever seen the movie Seven Pounds? It’s a little weird, and I could not stand the jellyfish in that movie, but I loved how he did these MAJOR things for other people. Things like giving an abused woman a house so she could escape her abuser, donating a kidney, a lobe of his lung, a part of his liver, and ultimately his eyes and heart. Most of the people he helps are strangers.

When I made my 30 Before 30 List and put “Help a Stranger” on there, I kind of had this huge type of help in mind. Or saving someone’s life, or even helping someone change a tire (not likely since I can’t even change my own tire!)

But I think I have started something better. I think I have started the practice of helping people everyday so that if I am ever called upon to help in some major way, I will be ready.

I started out volunteering for the SPCA a few years ago. I would go one night each week and take all the dogs out for the last time before bed, clean their rooms, make their beds and give each one a kong with peanut butter as I put them in their crates. I supplemented it by volunteering a few weekends doing such things as giving the dogs play time, teaching them manners and tricks like sit/down, and helping families find a dog to adopt or volunteering for such things as their K9 3K fundraising event. This was before I had Cam and I loved it. Once I got a dog of my own, I didn’t have the time to commit to it, but I did that for over 2 years.

Now I volunteer at church at our first time guest table every Sunday and I just signed on to be on a Marketing Advisory Board for a non-profit.

For some reason I still didn’t feel like I could mark “help a stranger” off my list.

So I tried doing things like paying for the person behind me in the drive-thru. It made me feel good for a few minutes, but didn’t give me that “Man, I did something really good and changed someone’s life” kind of feeling. I just kept feeling like it wasn’t enough. I wasn’t giving up part of my body or making anyone’s dreams come true.

A few weeks ago my Bible Study group adopted a little girl for Christmas from our leader’s school that she teaches at. We all went shopping together for her and we had so much fun. We went a little crazy and got her SO many things! We got her a few outfits, a few pairs of shoes, an easy bake oven and some food to make in it, a jewelry making kit, craft supplies, and even more things I can’t even remember! In all we spent about $200 on her and our cart was over-flowing! Check it out:

Last night I asked the girls if they thought I could use this to mark off “Help a Stranger” on my list and they all said of course! I thought and thought about this for days/weeks and I have decided to mark this off my list. Not because of this one event, but because I can see that I have developed the HABIT of helping others. I try to do whatever I can to give back and if someone ever does need something huge from me one day, I know I’ll be ready.

Definitely mark it off your list! You've done much more than most even THINK about doing. I absolutely LOVE helping out other people, especially when they don't know who helped because they don't feel like they owe anyone anything. Great job!

What a great story! Isn't the adopt-a-family program so much fun? We've done it two years in a row and looks on the family's faces when we deliver the gifts is the greatest! So glad you had a great experience.